58 DAIRYING 



state thirty associations have been organized during about tw, 

 years. Each association is composed of 7 to 70 members, the 

 annual dues range from 50 cents to $3.00, and the number of pure 

 bred animals owned by members varies from 4 to 1000. 



THE TUBERCULIN TEST. 



755. There is little if any objection to the tuberculin testing 

 of dairy cattle at the present time. It has been demonstrated in 

 the last few years that the test when properly made has no bad 

 effect on healthy cows, and that one tuberculous animal may 

 spread the disease not only to all the other stock in the stable, but 

 to the hogs kept on the same farm, and in some instances, the 

 poultry have been found to be tuberculous. The disease spreads 

 rapidly, and a tuberculin test of each animal in the herd should 

 be made at least once a year. When cows are bought, these 

 should be kept out of the herd until they have been tested twice 

 and found free from the disease. 



756. Tuberculous cows do not always show symptoms of tlu 

 disease ; they may be as fat and healthy appearing as the sound 

 cattle, and the only way of detecting the condition of each animal 

 is to make the test at least once a year, unless no trace of the 

 disease has ever been found, and no new stock has been brought 

 into the herd. In such cases testing once in two years is often 

 enough. 



757. Tuberculin testing is usually done during the cold sea- 

 son of the year when cows are in the stable. The cows should all 

 be in normal condition when tested, and remain quietly in their 

 stalls during the test. They should not be allowed to drink large 

 quantities of cold water just before the test, and the test should 

 not be made either just before or just after calving, or when a 

 cow shows symptoms of any disorder. 



The test, which is comparatively simple, may be made by the 

 owner of the cows, or by any careful person. The necessary 

 tuberculin may be obtained from the U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture, and this, together with a clinical thermometer, an injec- 

 tion needle, and a graduated hypodermic syringe, are all that is 



